After having had Arrogant Bastard (and loving it), I was excited about trying the Oaked version of this fantastic brew. Side poured with standard vigor from the 12oz bottle into my Boulevard glass, co-sponsored by the KC Royals. 1st Place in the AL Central, in case you didn't know. While I write, its' snowing in KC, making me want to go to Stone Brewery and relax in 75 degree weather.

Appearance - Pours a beautiful deep ruby red color with a nice one finger that dissipates slowly and leaves excellent lacing. Very impressive presentation on this brew, and of course Stone kills it on the packaging. Always a pleasure.

Smell - Malty sweetness is certainly strong, with a bit of hop character. A hint of the oak can be detected, as well as some spiciness and booze. A fairly complex nose, albeit not very strong.

Taste - What the nose lacks, the taste makes up for. The oak is certainly prevalent, with a nice malty spicy sweetness making up the majority of the drink. There is a little hop character in there as well.

Mouthfeel - This is one of my favorite parts of this brew, in that it is so smooth and you get a touch of the alcohol at the end. Nothing overwhelming, but it is there, and I like that. It doesn't let you forget you are drinking alcohol. Leaves a nice, smooth, sweet taste on the palate. I would say it is a medium-heavy beer.

Overall - While I did not like this beer to the extent I like the standard Arrogant Bastard, it is still an excellent beer no doubt. I would highly recommend it, although I would also recommend you drink the original first for a control group (comparison purposes). Great beer.